Summer Program Overview
Our summer program provides our summer associates with the opportunity to participate in a broad and exciting range of legal work, to experience what it is like to practice law at our firm, and to get to know our attorneys, our clients, and our communities. In each of our offices, we offer competitive salaries and benefits. Please click here to learn more.
Assignments and Mentoring
Our summer program is designed to allow summer associates to explore a variety of practice areas. There is no formal summer rotation system, and therefore our summer associates may receive projects from any of our practice groups. We work to accommodate our summer associates’ evolving interests and urge them to let us know if they want to receive projects in particular practice areas. On any given day, our summer associates may research and analyze a complex legal issue, draft a brief, opinion letter or agreement; assist lawyers in preparing witnesses for depositions or trial; or work with a team of lawyers and client representatives to strategize about a commercial deal or court hearing.
Our summer associates also have the opportunity to experience first-hand our commitment to public service and community involvement. In years past, our summer associates have assisted on pro bono cases relating to a variety of matters, including the civil Gideon project (advocating for the right to counsel in certain civil proceedings where fundamental rights are at stake), international missing children cases (providing legal assistance under the Hague Convention to custodial parents whose children have been abducted by the non-custodial parent), Individuals with Disabilities Act cases (providing legal representation to low-income, special needs children to obtain for them a meaningful and free public education), and death penalty cases.
All summer associates are assigned projects through a designated associate work coordinator, who will monitor their work loads and provide them with feedback and guidance. In addition, all summer associates are assigned a partner mentor, who facilitates their introduction to the firm and provides them a hands-on work experience. We place a high priority on providing our summer associates with prompt and constructive feedback on their work throughout the summer.
Education and Training
Our commitment to educating and training new lawyers begins with the summer program. At the beginning of each summer, summer associates participate in multiple research and writing seminars, which are designed to provide practical guidance for researching and writing with greater skill, precision, and efficiency. Summer associates also attend seminars and lunch meetings on various aspects of the firm, including firm practice areas, firm management, community service and other subjects. In addition, summer associates are invited to participate in our in-house training programs, which have included techniques for taking and defending depositions, engaging in effective negotiations, drafting contracts, and performing corporate due diligence work.
Our lawyers often bring summer associates to court proceedings, oral arguments, depositions, closings, legislative hearings, and client meetings. We also strive to introduce our summer associates to dynamic members of the legal community outside of the firm, including federal and state judges and other public officials.
Events
We think it is important for our summer associates to get to know members of the firm, have fun with their colleagues, and fully experience the communities where we practice. Our summer program features a number of social events that allow our summer associates to get to know each other and the firm’s lawyers in more relaxed settings, and to sample some of the wonderful cultural and recreational resources found in our home cities. These events include outings to concerts, sporting events, private museum tours, dinner parties, baseball games, sailing, cooking classes, and wine tastings, among many others. In addition, our summer associates are regularly invited to join our attorneys for informal lunches, golf outings or after-work socializing.
CONTACT US
Law students interested in positions in any of our offices should direct their resumes and inquiries to:
Bobbi J. Shoemaker
Legal Recruiting Coordinator
52 East Gay Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614.464.6285
bjshoemaker@vorys.com